Young drivers who show films that show sensible behavior are less likely to take risks than those who fear intimidation, according to a study in England.
Dr Yaniv Hanoch, associate professor of risk management at the University of Southampton, found that drivers who took part in the research responded better if they displayed “positive” driving messages.
More than a million people are killed in road accidents worldwide each year, with drivers under the age of 25 making up nearly half of all road deaths.
Dr Hanoch said: “Governments around the world have embraced a range of interventions aimed at promoting safer driving, with the majority using fear-based content, such as graphic images of sudden car accidents.
“We are all familiar with the UK Government’s Think campaign, especially at this time of year.
“However, previous research has suggested that such messages can be fruitful, perhaps because the emotional content can provoke defensive reactions and message rejection. ”
For the research, conducted by the universities of Warwick and Antwerp, 146 young drivers conducted tests to compare the differences in perceptions of dangerous driving.
Half of the group watched a six-minute video aimed at intimidating an accident caused by an irresponsible driver, drawn by passengers.
The other half saw a video showing a positive scene with a careful driver urging the passengers to ignore it and reach the destination successfully.
Each participant took a questionnaire to assess their perception of risk taking on the road before and after the test.
At the end of the test, they also conducted a second test, the Vienna Risk-Test Test-Traffic, in which they watched video clips of driving situations that require a driver reaction such as consideration when it is safe to pass in frozen conditions.
The study also tested whether watching the videos in an immersive setting on a virtual reality (VR) headset made a difference to watching on a 2D TV screen.
The findings, published in the journal Risk Analysis, suggest that the progressive film reduced dangerous driving in 2D and even more so in VR, while the horror film continued. to more risk when seen in VR.
Dr Clara Cutello, from the University of Antwerp, said: “Our results provide key insights into the role of anti-fear messages in tackling dangerous driving among young drivers.
“They show that enabling participants to experience proactive behavior, and giving them the misconception that the events that take place can be real through VR, can encourages the creation of career models and strategies for road safety. ”